Minneapolis Institute of Art

Book of Sudhana from the Garland Sutra (Hua-yan Ching Pu-hsien Hsing-yuan Pin)

China

Date

late 16th century

Medium

Woodblock print on paper

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The final chapter of the Garland Sutra ( Hua yan ching ) was considered essential reading for all Buddhists. It concerns the Indian boy Sudhana who, while searching for knowledge of the Buddhist law, sought advice from 53 different bodhisattvas. Finally, the bodhisattva Samantabhadra taught him his ten great compassionate vows and how to fulfill them in order to attain enlightenment. This woodblock printed edition features a printed frontispiece in which a large seated Buddha is shown surrounded by thirty followers. Following the frontispiece is a colophon wishing prosperity and long life to the emperor. The seventy pages of text contains three large red temple seals. On the final page is an illustration of the guardian figure Wei tuo-tian. China, Asia

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.